June 7, 2010

This last week I spent a few days camping with a youth group. It was a great experience to have young men and women away from the hustle and bustle of everyday life, no cell phones, Xbox, facebook, texting, just kids being kids. Each kid was given assignments and all were involved in making the camp work. I could see the youth that have been enabled, and those with entitlement issues become more expressive and involved. Eyes that once drifted away or down, became happy and clear, words started to flow and soon the group had a feel of unity. There is a real need to help our youth feel connected to others, not just through the electronic world, but face to face interaction, the need to place responsibility on the shoulders of this generation, to create a sense of ownership in the world, a belief that they have a place in it, and understand how to contribute. Our youth are the most important product we can invest in, the long term pay off is immeasurable and the need is obvious. It can be as simple as camping or playing with them, adding responsibility to the daily diet of an electronic world.